AN ENCYCLOPEDIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. 93 
_GRAPE OR VINE LOUSE (Phyllovera vastatriz). 
This insect belongs to the Aphides, or Green Flies, a 
group that contains many species very destructive to 
field and garden crops, but none which approaches 
this in the injuries done by it. The insect lives on the 
European Vine (Vitis vinifera), forming galls on both 
-roots and leaves; and, when it has once effected a settle- 
ment, the plant, if left to itself, soon perishes under the 
attacks. The injuries to the leaves are of compara- 
tively slight moment; the danger proceeds from the 
effects produced on the young roots. The insects fre- 
quently affix themselves near the tips of newly-formed 
roots, and push their probosces through the bark, it may 
be even to the cambium. There results from this a 
thickening of the bark, due to the development of new 
cells—hence the formation of galls, some of which 
reach the size of a pea; and, after a time, the central 
part of the root also becomes modified. In autumn, 
the healthy young roots begin to undergo enlargement, 
to form the older ones of the next year; but, in those 
affected, the galls die, and the roots also perish. The 
plants are thus deprived of due nourishment, and are 
starved ; while, at the same time, they are weakened by 
the abstraction of food by the insects on the older roots 
and leaves. Phyllozera vastatriz passes the winter on 
A 
Fic. 147. GRAPE OR VINE LOUSE. 
the roots. In spring, the plants push ont young 
branches and leaves, but these soon become yellow, and 
wither; and the fruits, if they ripen, often remain un- 
coloured and sour. The next year, the leaves are still 
more deformed; and fruits are not formed, or do not 
ripen. The insects leave the Vines before the latter are 
quite dead, and crawl about in search of new plants. 
Hence, any diseased plant is a dangerous centre of infec- 
tion in a vinery. The insects vary in appearance. Eggs 
laid, in the autumn, between the crevices of the bark on 
the roots, produce, in spring, larve, which pass, with 
little change, except mere increase in size, into the 
mature females. These Jarve usually form galls on 
the leaves, but, at times, the roots alone are attacked. 
The leaf-galls form small feddish warts on the one 
surface of the leaf, with small depressions on the other 
surface. In this depression is the entrance to the gall— 
a slit, closed with hairs. From the leaf-galls emerge 
Wingless insects, which continue for a time to form new 
galls, and at last pass down to the roots. 
In Fig. 147, a shows sketch of a Vine root attacked by 
Phylloxera; B, portion of leaf of Vine, showing the galls 
formed on the leaf by the Phylloxera, as seen both on 
Grape or Vine Louse—continued. 
upper and under side; and c, subterranean form of female, 
magnified. The eggs are about shin. long. The mature 
female may reach svin. in length, and varies in colour from 
pale yellow to dull brown. The males become winged 
when mature ; the body is about dyin. or +in. long; the 
wings are nearly twice as long as the body. The colour 
is golden-yellow, or approaches dull orange, except a dark 
band across the thorax. The eyes are red in both sexes, 
History. The disease of Vines caused by Phylloxera 
was first noticed in 1863, in Southern France, but did 
not seem very dangerous till 1865. Planchon, in 1868, 
discovered that it was caused by the insect, which, how- 
ever, had been previously known to zoologists. In 1856, 
Dr. Asa Fitch observed it in America, and named it 
Pemphigus vitifolie. In 1863, it was discovered in 
vineries near London, and was named by Professor West- 
wood Peritymbia vitisana. In France, it spread very 
rapidly, even till it reached the most northern vineyards. 
In the department of Vaucluse, the yield of wine had, 
in 1876, been reduced to about one-tenth of the former 
amount. The disease still spreads, and has appeared in 
most countries of Western and Central Europe. 
The effect of the legislation which the dread of the 
Phylloxera has brought about, seriously interferes with 
the nurserymen who export plants. In some countries— 
Germany, for example—no plants are allowed to be im- 
ported. An exception in this case, we believe, is made 
in favour of ‘“bulbs;” but plants equally unlikely to be 
in any way the means of furthering the spread of the 
Phylloxera, are rigidly refused admission. In order to 
send plants to any of the countries in which the regula- 
tions of the Phylloxera Convention are enforced, it is 
necessary to sig a declaration that the package contains 
no Vines or roots of Vines, that no Vines are grown near 
the place whence the plants were taken, and that no 
Phylloxera exists, or has existed, in the immediate 
neighbourhood. This declaration must be stamped and 
countersigned by a magistrate, and afterwards be pre- 
sented to the Consul or Vice-Consul of the conntry to 
which it is proposed to send the package, for his visé. 
The fee for the latter varies almost for every country. 
The declaration is then handed to the agent or railway 
company who undertake to forward the plants: without it, ee 
the goods are not allowed to be sent to their destination. 
Remedies. These fall almost entirely under the head 
of “ Prevention of the Spread of Disease,” which has been — 
attempted in various countries by strict prohibition of 
the export of Vines from infected districts, and of the 
import of Vines into places where disease has not yet 
appeared (the German law of 11th Feb., 1873, is espe- 
cially strict in this matter). It has also been attempted 
by the destruction of the Vines wherever disease has 
appeared, The German law of 6th March, 1875, enforces 
the thorongh uprooting of infected plants, burning every 
part, and a disinfection of the soil, for which many sub- 
stances have been used—the most reliable, however, is 
carbon disulphide, which destroys the insects on the 
roots, but does not injure the plants, especially if applied 
in winter. A mixture of carbon disulphide and coal-tar 
has also been advised; and a good mode of using it is 
to scatter on the soil pieces of wood saturated in the 
mixture, and washed with water-glass (silicate of pot- 
ash), so as to allow the gases to pass off gradually as 
the latter dissolves. Another method is, where easily 
practicable, to lay the soil under water for six or seven 
weeks. The American Grape Vines, especially V. cordi- 
folia and V. estivalis, resist the attacks of Ferlieze er 
far better than do the European species; and, of 
years, they have been largely introduced into European 
iney , for the purpose of supplying stocks on which 
to graft the better flavoured, but more delicate, Old 
World varieties. (“ Enquéte de l'Académie des Sciences 
sur le Phylloxera.” Paris, 1879. 2-vols., with many plates.) 
